Abstract
The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the origins of “temple fairs” (miaoshi 廟市), “silkworm fairs” (canshi 蠶市) and “medicine fairs” (yaoshi 藥市) that were formed around religious centers in the Sichuan region during the Tang and the Song dynasties. The dissertation begins with an investigation of the relations between the development of silk and medicine industries and the rise of long-distance trade during the Tang dynasty. Through the investigation, I argue that in Sichuan, the commercialization of silk products and medicines not only led to the formation of market places on specific sites and dates but also to the deification of certain legendary local figures. For example, Can-cong 蠶叢 and Ma-tou-niang 馬頭娘 started to be worshiped as the gods or goddesses of sericulture in Sichuan. The spatial proximity between their temples and the newly formed silk and medicine markets led to new geographical phenomenon: temple fairs. A closer investigation into the social contexts of the temple fairs moreover reveals which people attended these fairs. The purposes include merely religious ones, commercial interests, and the pursuit of immortality. But some people also attended the fairs simply for enjoying food and alcohol that local government of Chengdu provided there during the period of the fairs occurring. I argue that the seemingly complimentary provisions from the local government in Song Dynasty was actually an official attempt to control these newly emerged social and economic fairs. Therefore, a better understanding of the temple fairs has to take into account the interactive forces between economy, religion and governmental authority.